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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23814733">Sun King</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarbageVanFleet/pseuds/GarbageVanFleet'>GarbageVanFleet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Greta Van Fleet (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beach Sex, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Shower Sex, Summer Vacation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:22:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,654</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23814733</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarbageVanFleet/pseuds/GarbageVanFleet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Reader and Josh have been best friends since childhood - but maybe a tropical vacation will change that. </p><p>title from the Beatles song by the same name</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Josh Kiszka/Original Female Character(s), Josh Kiszka/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sun King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You had spent the entire day at the beach for four days in a row. It wasn’t often that you got to go on a vacation, so when you did, you really liked to forget the monotony of your everyday life. There really wasn’t any extra room in your head to think about your summer job or college applications with the ocean waves lapping at your feet.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Your parents had been promising you this trip the entire year so as long as your grades stayed up before graduation, and it had been a struggle, but you had succeeded - the real hardest part was waiting from the end of school until the actual trip came, which didn’t roll around until December.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Josh had been your friend since middle school, and an unlikely friend at that - or at least at first. See you’ve always had a really feminine lunar energy, a darker, deeper aura, but him? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Josh was the sun personified. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had the most sunflower-petal-yellow personality you could imagine; his whole persona was a rainbow tie-dyed bed sheet drying on a clothesline. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But opposites attract, or they must anyway, because one fateful day in sixth grade, he had knocked directly into you. The force of it had thrown your tray down to the lunchroom floor, smearing mashed potatoes all over your new school shoes. You had opened your mouth to snap at him, but. Well, how could you? There was never any option but to forgive him when he flashed that big, blinding smile. Especially when he was looking at you like an apologetic puppy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had latched onto you after that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Josh had attended every single birthday party since then and escorted you - </span>
  <em>
    <span>as a friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you assured your parents - to a couple of spring formals. He had been by your side when you tried summer camp and hated it, and you couldn’t remember the last time you’d been to a movie theater without him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Your parents had been understandably suspicious at first, but after years of seeing his face at least three-quarters of every month, they had been given no reason to suspect there was anything romantic between you two. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, that’s how he had ended up here in paradise with you. It was just a given that if you were going on vacation, so was Josh. Your parents hadn’t even asked; they’d just naturally bought an extra ticket for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked undeniably more well placed here in the tropical climate than you did, and you tried not to be envious about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You had spent a bit of time exploring the foreign shops and busy streets, but more than anything, you laid with him in the sand, staring out over the water and trying to get as much of the sun as you could, considering you wouldn’t be seeing it for at least another four months after you got back to the Midwest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily for you, your parents had not hovered at all. They had given you nothing but free time while they spent almost the entirety of the vacation at the hotel pool up to that point. Their distracted state had allowed you plenty of opportunities to find light beers and sneakily drink them with him. You had never really liked the taste of beer, but it was more for the novelty than anything else. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Josh said, gently pressing his fingertips into your side to get your attention. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You turned your head toward him and tipped your sunglasses down. They were the ones with the orange lenses that you had been absolutely intent on buying before the trip because they matched your suit. You decidedly did not regret your decision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You hummed lazily in response. He was laying next to you on a teal blue beach towel under possibly the world’s largest umbrella, one tanned ankle crossed over the other. He returned his hand to where he had it folded behind his head, supporting most of its weight as he dozed in and out of consciousness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His skin was kissed golden by the sun - almost from the minute you’d gotten off the plane- making him look a bit shiny the second he started sweating. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“What time is it?” he asked, voice a shade too concerned for your liking; although, in your lazy state, almost any level of concern was too much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You glanced down at your phone which was positioned in between you, playing a very long playlist you had collaborated on for the whole car ride to the airport. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost five.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah, really?” He looked around the beach, which was completely empty, saved for a couple of other stragglers that were staying well away from you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You had five days worth of practice under your belt, and that had allowed you to find the perfect little slice of beach - secluded, but well kept. You hadn’t had to talk to another soul for the whole trip that you didn’t actively seek out, which was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> what you had always wanted from a vacation. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should probably get back. Your parents said we were having dinner around six, right?” He nudged into your side, letting you know that he intended to move you whether you liked it or not, even if you had given him a lazy sounding groan for it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no point fighting him (the boy was persistent if nothing else), so you slowly stretched out and prepared to be mobile again after barely using a muscle for days. He was right anyway - your parents weren’t strict in any sense of the word, but they were notoriously a bit picky about punctuality.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He helped you pack everything into your oversized beach bag and then tugged you up into a standing position. He looked just as stiff as you were as he walked by your side, neither of you concerned with keeping a straight line.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You both instinctively headed toward the shower area, all of your beach-going gear in tow, and when you got there, you each wordlessly headed to your respective shower stalls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All the other showers you’d used the whole trip had been different, but here there were only two cubicles with just a couple feet in between them. You let your heavy bag drop to the pavement in the middle of the two stalls with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thud</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and he did the same, propping the long umbrella up against the brick of the building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You had wrapped your hair up earlier this morning to prevent it from getting salty in the ocean, but you could feel sand gritting against your scalp as you pulled the scrunchie out, so you picked the bottle of shampoo you’d packed away as you turned the shower on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t particularly warm, but the spray was nice and refreshing on your sun-touched skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You had just tipped your head back under the water when the curtain on your stall opened, causing you to jump and cover yourself, despite still being completely covered in your suit. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I can’t get the water to work in mine - can I jump in with you?” Josh asked and when you gave him a scolding frown, he offered you a toothy smile back. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you tried turning the knob?” you asked flatly, but you couldn’t help but laugh as he rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, I didn’t fucking think of that,” he retorted. “Scoot over.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t a whole lot of room in these little shower stalls - they were definitely only meant for one person at a time, so you couldn’t clear much space for him, but you did your best. Once he was in, he had to stand within inches of you to prevent from spilling back out. You squinted accusingly at him, entirely unconvinced that either of you could get very clean this way. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“This could have been such a nice, relaxing shower,” you complained, popping the cap on the shampoo and squirting some out in your palm. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“It still can be!” he assured with a cheeky grin. “Just pretend I’m not here.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Just for good measure, he mimicked zipping his mouth shut and tossing the key to the floor. You huffed a laugh at him, working the soap through your hair with your fingertips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When you tipped your head back and let the water wash your locks clean, you let your eyes slip shut. You could tell that your cheeks were a little sunburnt because the water felt nearly ice-cold as it trickled across them, making you shiver. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Your eyes popped open again to find him watching your face. You huffed a breathy laugh at him.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hard to pretend you’re not here when you’re staring at me like that.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not staring!” he scoffed, but his face turned charmingly pink despite his defense. “Where else am I supposed to look?” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You didn’t respond but instead decided to shake your head with a smirk. You handed him the shampoo bottle, but when you started to step aside to let him closer to the spout, he crowded closer to you. As he leaned in to wet his curls, your back hit the cold tile wall, making you gasp. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus, do you want me to just get out?” you complained half-heartedly, pressing a hand against his chest. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t until he let out a wet sounding laugh that you realized he was jesting you. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, am I in your way?” he asked coyly, ignoring your faux-annoyed groans as he leaned over you to steal the majority of the spray. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was so close then that your nose hit his neck, his chest pressed flush against yours. The atmosphere in the tiny cubicle shifted dramatically for you at that moment, your breath catching in your chest.  </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Josh,” you breathed.  </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You shivered again at the contact and, through your suit, you could feel your nipples perk up as your skin tightened into goosebumps. You could tell the exact second that he realized what he’d done to you because his whole body tensed and he took a step back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be weird or anything,” he said, just loud enough to be audible over the white noise of the shower. His cheeks were flushed from embarrassment - even more so than before, keeping his eyes plastered firmly to the ceiling. Or, at least he was trying. Every couple of seconds, his gaze flicked down, almost comically across your body. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You couldn’t repress the breathless laugh as you watched him work to not look. Your heart was racing, making you feel jittery. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Biting your lip anxiously, you could feel the heat rising to your cheeks too. His eyes flicked down to yours and he gave you a look like he was trying to tell if you were being genuine - if it was really okay.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You reached up to pat his cheek, meant to be a reassurance, but you couldn’t prevent your fingers from lingering against his warmed skin. Touching him like this was nothing new - you were what one could call “platonically intimate”. You shared beds and clothes, and every now and then he’d ask you to brush out his hair, just because he liked the feeling. But this time - like everything else about this moment - felt different. He leaned into your touch a fraction, nuzzling into your palm like a house cat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite your closeness - metaphorically and physically - in all the years you’d known him, you had never once tried to kiss. You had thought about it once or twice, but only because you had gone through a boy crazy faze at the start of puberty and it made you question whether every platonic male in your life could be your soulmate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But for a second you stared at his plush lips and thought about what it would be like. If it was anything like you expected, then it would be toothache-sweet, because that’s what he was like. Like cotton candy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You pursed your lips tightly, suddenly overcome with a feeling that you weren’t used to. It felt dreamy like the color rose quartz. Like butterflies were beating their dusty wings against your stomach lining.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was giving you a questioning look - brows tipped up at the center of his face in a look of concern. You could only imagine what your face must look like to him. You certainly hadn’t been regulating it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he parted his lips to inquire, you brushed your fingertips across them, feeling his breathing go uneven. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Josh,” you whisper, gingerly placing your other hand on the back of his neck. He was so close that you didn’t have to move much to do so. “Will you kiss me?” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t react for a second, just stood there blinking like the words hadn’t caught up yet. Then his mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he tried to think of a response.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he finally breathed, and the inflection in his voice - like you’re stupid to even ask - made you blush. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His face was already just a foot away from yours, so when he exhaled, the hot air hit your cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first brush of his lips against yours was experimental - just the ghost of a touch. You could tell that he wanted to, but couldn’t seem to bring himself to commit to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You scratched your nails gently against the back of his neck, urging him on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He snaked his hand around your waist and pulled you in a fraction closer, hesitantly pressing your lips together, tighter this time. As you kissed him back, you could sense his apprehensions starting to melt away. He was gaining confidence by the second, letting his fingers play against the small of your back.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Giddy with excitement, you let him press you back against the tile again until he was standing slightly over you, your fingers wrapped in his wet curls. The water hitting the back of his head was dripping onto your face, and it reminded you of those movies where the romantic interest kisses the girl passionately in the rain before the credits rolled. You had never been very into lovey-dovey movies, but he had always been a sucker for big romantic gestures, so you ended up watching rom-coms quite often. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You parted your lips for him, and this time he kissed you in complete earnest. The rush of feeling behind it knocked the breath from your lungs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hand was carefully sliding up your back until your skin met the tile of the shower, and he was forced to snake it up your rib cage instead. You knew what he was going to do, even though you were sure he didn’t - that his fingers were dancing along your skin at their own accord. So when his thumb brushed over your nipple through the fabric of your suit it didn’t shock you, but the feeling forced a hum from you that he swallowed down instantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He rubbed over it lightly, and every touch made your whole body tingle.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” he breathed against your lips, sounding painfully shocked at the way this day was going.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You couldn’t say you blamed him. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The angle was starting to make your neck ache, but you could only move slightly due to the cramped space. As you shifted, you felt his hardened cock slide against your thigh and you sucked in a sharp gasp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His whole body tensed like he wasn’t sure if he’d crossed a line, but he continued when you tugged on his hair - maybe a little too rough if you were being honest. He didn’t seem to mind at all; as a matter of fact, if you didn’t know any better, you’d say he liked it - if the suspiciously hoarse whimper he placed into your mouth was anything to go by. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fingers of his other hand trailed down your other side, thumb rubbing against your hip bone and tugging you closer until your pelvis was pressed against his. The sensation was too delicious; you couldn’t help but grind against him, eliciting a moan from each of you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When his lips moved to your neck, his teeth grazed the skin. You could feel him starting to bite in, and as good as it felt, you had to object.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, wait,” you breathed. “You can’t leave any marks.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who said I was going to leave a mark?” he asked, sounding a little smug. You huffed a laugh at him, rolling your eyes. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were an expert at this.” The sarcasm dripping from your voice made him laugh into your damp skin. You opened your mouth to say something equally quippy, but the words got choked back as his fingers brushed against your core.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Your exhale hitched in your lungs, and when you were able to finally breathe again, it was in the sound of his name. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He added just a fraction more pressure, forcing you to bite your lip. He was about to go for it, you could tell, because he was slowly pushing your suit aside, and you were heavily anticipating his fingers touching your bare skin when- </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Your phone rang, almost ear splittingly loud as the tone echoed off of the tile. It caused you to yelp, and he pulled away instantly, face beet red. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Shakily, you bent down and reached past the curtain, pulling it out of your bag and answering it without looking at the ID.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He flipped the water off just as you said, “Hello?”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You silently prayed that your voice wasn’t as shaky as you thought it sounded.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, just reminding you that we’re having dinner around six,” your father said from the other end. It was quiet enough in the stall that he could easily be heard by Josh as well from where he was leaning back against the shower wall, breathing heavily and staring at the floor. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You swallowed the lump in your throat first before speaking again. “Yeah, we’re just getting changed. Probably be there in ten to fifteen minutes is all.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Your dad quickly agreed, sounding none-the-wiser to your sins, and after you hung up, you tucked your phone deep inside the bag, like that would help keep everything a secret.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Josh’s eyes flicked up and met yours, his eyebrows raised. You were biting your lip, rubbing nervously at the back of your neck. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, fuck,” he chanced, making you release a shaky laugh. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck indeed,” you replied, giving him a small smile. “We should get moving.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded in agreement, and after a second of staring at you, he stepped out, leaving you to change.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Neither of you said a word on the walk back to the hotel, but it wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable - just new. Uncharted territory. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Dinner was the same. The air felt heavy, but you did your best to not let your parents feel it, and you could tell he was doing the same. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He easily answered their questions about the day’s goings-on, easily navigating around the part where he almost slipped a finger into you in the shower.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Try as you might, there was no way you could prevent yourself from thinking about it. You caught yourself staring at his lips while he ate, and thinking about the way he tasted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The light was catching on his tan cheekbones, making his jawline look razor-sharp, and all you could do was think about biting it. It was a big difference between just yesterday when he’d sneezed on you and then laughed about it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You think that was what was most alarming - You’d never thought of him sexually in your life, aside from the time a friend of yours decided to date him and then attempted to tell you what he was like in bed. As you stared at him from across the table, your biggest regret was cutting her off before she could say anything actually worth knowing.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stared at you over the rim of his water glass as your mom talked about the hotel bar margaritas, and for the first time in your life, you wanted to know what he felt like on top of you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The closer dinner got to being finished, the more heavily your heart started to thud. By the time you were all standing and removing your napkins from your lap, you were sure everyone could hear it’s eclectic rhythm bouncing around in your ribcage. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You had never been more thankful in your life that your parents had insisted your rooms be in separate wings on the hotel - though you didn’t really want to think of the implications of that in and of itself. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Josh let himself into your room, asking your parents to excuse him. When your mother inquired about what you guys were going to get up to for the rest of the night, you shrugged and told her you were thinking about renting a movie and falling asleep to it - insuring her that you were beyond tired from all the fresh air and sun. She happily told you to charge it to the room and told you to text her if you guys needed anything, but after being here for five days, you thought you had it covered.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They hugged you goodnight and then retreated down the hall, and you waited until you were positive they were gone before you opened the door. He had left it cracked for you - no need for you to fumble with a keycard, for which you were grateful. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He was at the other end of the room, facing away from you. He had changed into his favorite pair of grey sweatpants and nothing else, and you took a second to rake your eyes up the muscles of his back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When you shut the door, you leaned back against it, your heart fluttering. You were so nervous that your fingers felt numb, but it was the best kind of nerves you’d ever experienced in your life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You hadn’t ever felt like this about a guy before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This certainly would not be your first time - by any means. But. Somehow it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he turned around, he looked at you like he was viewing an art installation. It took a second before he could snap out of it, tugging a soft t-shirt over his head and smoothing it out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You couldn’t stop yourself from following his hand down his chest with your eyes, a warmth rising on your cheeks away when you looked back up and he was wearing a tiny smirk. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to go back down to the beach?” he asked, voice quiet, but audible in the - otherwise silent - room. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You weren’t expecting that, and you could tell by the way he smiles at you that he knew he’d take you by surprise. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” you agree, nodding. You were honestly a little afraid for a second that he was going to just pretend like nothing had happened. Your chest was tight with hurt for a brief second until he reached for the blanket off the bed, tugging it off the bed and rolling it into a ball under his arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No one else on earth could tell that he was nervous, you thought, but he was infinitely more transparent to you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just the fact that he wasn’t talking a mile a minute in the elevator was a tell-tale sign. He kept dragging his teeth over his bottom lip; something that would be just a normal, mindless tick for anyone else.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He let you step out first and then held the door from the lobby open for you, which was nothing new, but the way he placed a hand on your lower back as you brushed past him was. The touch made your skin feel hot, even though it was over the fabric of the dress you’d put on for dinner. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You realized about halfway through the walk that he was leading you back to the same slice of beach you’d been lazing on earlier that day, and for some reason that gave you goosebumps. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It felt complete. Full circle.  </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Nearing nine pm then, the moon was high, and the only source of light as it threw white light across the waves. The wet sand on the shoreline shimmered with it like liquid metal as the water lapped over it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t a soul around. You two were well away from any kind of civilization, and that notion itself was comforting to you. Still, your fingers were vibrating as he laid the blanket out and sat, toeing his sandals off and dusting his feet of any sand before relaxing back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You followed suit, smoothing out the skirt of your sundress over your knees as you knelt next to him.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You cleared your throat, looking up at him through your lashes. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have to do anything,” he said, without a single hint of reproach. His voice was soft and caring, the way it usually was when he was assuring you of anything, except even deeper in its sincerity this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He continued. “If you’re having second thoughts or anything, then just tell me and we’ll move past this, no questions asked.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You breathed a disbelieving laugh, suddenly feeling too big for your body. You weren’t sure why it took you off guard - he’d only ever been a perfect gentleman to you, and any girl he’d ever known, really. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want this,” you stated with a small nod. A smile that read something along the lines of </span>
  <em>
    <span>relief</span>
  </em>
  <span> spread over his lips, and he let out a held breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the tenderest way you could imagine, he swept a lock of your hair out of your face and tucked it behind your ear. A light touch, he wrapped his hand around the nape of your neck then, pulling you in just a fraction at a time until you were face to face for the second time that day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When your lips touched the first time, it was soft and sweet - clearly trying to ease each other back into it. But you were already there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You pressed into him, slipping your tongue in his mouth, and he met it with his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he leaned into him, his fingers danced along your bare shoulder, slipping under the thin strap of your dress and letting it slide down your arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was nearly a hundred degrees hotter there than back in the still-frozen midwest, but you found yourself shivering as you pulled away from him and shrugged out of the other strap, letting the top of your dress fall from your bare chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His lips fell open, and you waited a second for him to do or say something - anything, but when he didn’t, you huffed a laugh. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to pass out on me?” you teased, cupping one of your breasts in your own hand and giving it a squeeze just to watch him swallow hard. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” he breathed, licking his lips. He grinned at you, showing teeth and all as he ducked in and kissed down the side of your neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You let his hand replace yours, his rough fingers brushing over the plush skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t linger his kisses in any one place for too long, no doubt being mindful of your warning about love bites before. That is until he pulled away and placed both hands firmly around your waist, helping you off your knees until you were straddling his lap. When he got you into the position he liked, his mouth found its way to your breastbone, pressing a trail of kisses down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Your face felt fire-hot, so you buried it into the curls on the crown of his head. His hair smelled like the coconut shampoo you told him to start using years ago. The scent had become a bit of a comfort blanket for you - always put you at ease because it meant he was close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You had never stopped to think of the implications of that until right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A gasp escaped you as he sucked one of your nipples into his mouth, tugging it between his lips. His teeth scraped around it lightly, making you whine, high-pitched and beyond lewd. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” you whispered, pulling his face closer until you were afraid you were going to suffocate him, but knowing that if you did, he’d probably die happy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled away a fraction, just to flick his tongue against the other one, making your stomach tighten. You could feel yourself getting wetter, and couldn’t help but squirm against him, begging for some kind of reprieve. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You rocked your hips far enough forward that you caught his hard cock against your core, eliciting a choked moan from him. The tingly pleasure spread down your legs, to your toes and made them curl out of reflex.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His fingers dug into your sides as he pushed your hips back and then pulled them forward again, pressing you down harder into him this time. If you had any sense of reality, you’d know to be embarrassed about how wet you were after five seconds of grinding, but you were absolutely gone by then.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slower this time, so you could really enjoy the fire, you rocked forward again. His fingers found their way to your thighs, sliding up the hem of your dress until his hands were cupping your ass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deciding that there were at least one too many layers between you, you pulled yourself up, untying the string on his pants and letting him wriggle to get them pulled down as far as he could in this position. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was okay though, you had what you needed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His head tipped back as his cock slipped against you again, this time only your collective underwear in the way. With his throat exposed like that, you bent to drag your teeth against it, not being as gentle as he had been with you.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“No marks,” he reminded, voice gruff, but his fingers painted a different picture - one even let go of your ass to tangle in your hair, spurring you on as your tongue lapped against his skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The collar of his shirt in the way of your path only served to annoy you, so you tugged it over his head with haste and let it fall to the blanket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as his chest was bare, your fingers were mapping it out, tracing along his collarbones and down his breastbone. Even in the dim glow, you could tell how sun-kissed his shining skin was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The moon was illuminating his curls like a silvery halo, a sight so pretty that it knocked the breath from your lungs momentarily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You were both breathing hard, not from exertion, but from sheer excitement, and you watched his chest rise and fall for a second before your fingers raked over his stomach and then across the outline of his cock through his briefs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hips tried to buck up into the touch in their constricted state, but even the minuscule movement made you blush. Knowing that you could have this kind of effect on him was absolutely surreal. Before today, you’d never even had the privilege of being able to dream about this moment, because it had never even been an option to you. But as you circled your fingertip over the head of it through the fabric, the possibilities seemed endless. When you looked up at his face, he was watching the movements of your hand with half-lidded eyes, seeming like he felt very similarly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You leaned in and pressed your lips to his again, his mouth hot and sticky against yours. As you dipped your fingers under the hem of his briefs, you could feel him hold his breath. Your fingers wrapped around his cock, giving it a couple of painfully slow strokes and licking into his mouth as he opened it for you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Neither of you really needed any more warming up, so you caught his eyes and lifted yourself up enough that he could pull your panties to the side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When you slid down onto it, you had to bite your lip to keep yourself from crying out. You hadn’t realized how wet you were actually getting until you felt how easily it slipped into you. You didn’t allow him a whole lot of time to collect his thoughts before you were moving again, starting to pick up a rhythm as you worked yourself onto his cock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Your fingernails were dug into his skin, using his shoulders as leverage, and surely they would leave marks, but you couldn’t force yourself to care. He’d think of an excuse if and when anyone ever asked. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” you breathed, voice an octave higher than it usually was. “Oh my god.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He nuzzled his nose into your cheek, letting his hot, humid breath hit your skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Your thighs started to burn from relying on muscles you never use, but the second he started to feel you falter, his hands cupped under them, happy to share the work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t until he starting thrusting his hips up to meet yours that you really knew what fucking him could be like. The simple movement set your nerves on fire. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Josh!” you squeaked, wrapping your arms around his neck as your fingers shook.  </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he hummed. “I know, baby.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The pet name made your stomach flip. You’d never wanted someone’s affection as much as you did in this moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled his hands from your thighs and held you firmly around the waist. With your arms around his neck, you were already perfectly set up for his next move. He tipped you back until your shoulders were pressed against the blanket, laying you out with him between your hips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Your muscles were grateful for the reprieve, but the new angle had him driving into you differently, making your eyes roll back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had felt great before, but suddenly you could sense yourself working toward something more - a higher peak. Your body felt hot as you wrapped your legs around his hips, tugging him by the hair into a kiss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He eagerly kissed you back, biting down on your bottom lip, but not quite hard enough to break the skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With him over you like that, hair framing his face, everything felt like a dream. It was dark, but you could see the light of the moon catching on a sheen of sweat on his face, making his features even more intense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every single thrust sent you closer and closer to a pleasure you hadn’t been acquainted with yet until it got so intense that you had to squeeze your eyes shut tight and just hang on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You came first, trying and failing to stifle a cry on your own, so he pressed his mouth against yours, swallowing it down. The feeling engulfed you like a wave, your fingers digging at his bicep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He held you close to him, but it wasn’t until you were coming down that you realized he was whispering encouragement against the side of your mouth, sounding a little fucked out himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he came, he let out a few choppy, raspy breaths against your face, his fingers wound tightly in the fabric of your dress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You watched him come back to earth, and you weren’t sure if it was a post-orgasm haze or a real emotional response, but you were convinced in that moment that he was the most beautiful human you’d ever seen. For a brief second, you hated yourself for not appreciating it for all the years you’d known him. You couldn’t make any promises to yourself in your heightened emotional state, but you wanted to tell him. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>But what the hell would you say? </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled out, helping you sit up. Your whole body felt weak, so you both just sat there for a minute, staring at each other.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence was entirely comfortable for you, but you wondered for a second if it wasn’t for him. If you knew him like you thought you did, he was probably reading the silence as a sign of regret and the thought broke your heart in a way you hadn’t expected. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You leaned in and hugged him tight, pressing a kiss against his cheek and feeling him melt into it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no stopping yourself from wondering if he was feeling the way you did. You wanted to ask, but suddenly you were faced with the possibility that he didn’t. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Heart racing as you pulled away, you nervously bit your lip. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“What now?” you chanced, voice so quiet it was almost swallowed up by the sound of the waves. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave you a sugar-sweet smile and dragged his knuckle down your jawline. “You tell me.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>After you both redressed and got yourselves looking somewhat presentable, he walked you back up to the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A shower sounded nice, but after a moment of consideration, you decided that you’d used all of the energy you were willing to give for the day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So you changed into a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt in the bathroom, and when you came back out, he was already snuggled into his bed, smiling at you sleepily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You huffed a laugh at him, but when you pulled back the blankets to your own bed, his smile fell.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t wanna come over here?” he asked, sounding like a kicked puppy.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You looked over at him through your lashes. At least a quarter of the nights you’d known him had been spent sleeping within a foot or two of him, but this was different.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, I do,” you assured with a sheepish smile. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>You weren’t sure if you had been expecting to feel differently once you weren’t actively having sex with him, but as you crawled into his bed, you realized that you didn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nothing felt different, and yet everything had changed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You laid face to face with him, taking it all in. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he figured out that you weren’t going to make any moves, he reached past you and flicked off the light. He gave you one, chaste little kiss before pulling you close.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>+++</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Your flight home didn’t start boarding until 11 pm, but you’d never been good about sleeping on planes, so you settled in with a book and a can of cola. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The seats were set up in rows of three, so it ended up being you and Josh sitting together with a stranger and your parents in the row ahead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was sleepy - you could tell because he kept rubbing at his eyes like he was trying to keep them open. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get some sleep,” you instructed with a giggle as he leaned his head against the window.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wanna wait at least until we take off.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The stranger on your other side, however, already had her head leaned back on a neck pillow, big headphones covering her ears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Through the cracks in the seats, you could see your parents settling in for the night, getting ready to sleep through the nearly eight-hour flight. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Josh was just barely still awake by the time you were sure your parents were asleep, and you were comfortable enough to chance turning to him. You grabbed his chin with your fingers and kissed him slowly, feeling your heartbeat pick up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You wanted him to know that you hoped this was the new normal - that back home, you wanted to stay this close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked a little stunned when you pulled away, just sitting there blinking at you, but after his tired mind caught up with itself, he grinned at you, showing his teeth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled your head down to his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek against it, lacing your fingers together and letting them rest on his lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe you were going to be able to sleep after all. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>follow me @garbagevanfleet.tumblr.com for more</p></blockquote></div></div>
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